The Fairfax County Park Authority is pleased to announce that Historic Huntley, a 19th-century villa near the entrance to Huntley Meadows Park, has been named to the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, a program of the National Park Service. The Network to Freedom works to honor, preserve and promote the history of resistance to enslavement through escape and flight.
Historic Huntley preserves the stories of three enslaved men, Bob, Sam Humphreys and Sandy, who risked everything on their journey to freedom in the 1820s and 1830s. To attain the new designation, Park Authority staff documented Huntley’s role as a plantation in Fairfax County and the lives of the enslaved men who escaped.
“We can only imagine the courage required to face an abyss of uncertainty and danger when one feels the fire of freedom in their bones,” said Nigel Fields, deputy director for planning and development at the Park Authority. “These stories continue to inspire freedom seekers today. Historic Huntley’s history contributes to the evidence of a nationwide, persistent and irrepressible resistance to chattel enslavement in the United States.”
Established through an Act of Congress in 1998, the Network to Freedom program works in collaboration with local, state and federal entities, as well as individuals and organizations to create a "network" of sites, facilities and programs with a verifiable connection to the Underground Railroad. These sites are not limited to safehouses and may include any location that played a role in a freedom seeker’s journey.
By joining the Network to Freedom, the Park Authority, as the property owner and operator, has access to new opportunities for grant funding that may be used for preservation, restoration and interpretation of the site. This designation also allows for network sites to draw support for preservation and commemorative efforts.
Historic Huntley is the third historic Park Authority site to attain this designation. Sully Historic Site was added in 2003, and Riverbend Park joined the network in 2011.
About the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom
The Network to Freedom’s mission is to honor, preserve and promote the history of resistance to enslavement through escape and flight. The network advances the idea that all human beings embrace the right to self-determination and freedom from oppression. The program is a catalyst for innovation and partnerships that share the diverse legacy of the Underground Railroad across generations. Learn more at the Park Service's Network to Freedom website.